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At left, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill is pictured on November 14, 2014 at Belgrade's cathedral. At right, Pope Francis arrives at St. Peter's Basilica for the Christmas Night Mass on December 24, 2015. (Andrej Isakovic, Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Pope Francis is scheduled to meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba next week. The historic step will be the first time leaders of the two churches talk in almost one thousand years.

The Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church split during what was called the Great Schism of 1054. Robert Royal of the Faith & Reason Institute tells Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd about the estrangement and why this meeting is happening now.